Chapter 922 - One with the World, Mad Monk (1/2)
When he arrived in Shaolin Temple, the familiar surroundings caused Happy to be stunned. Then, he realized that this was his master, Master Xuan Jing’s zen garden.
“Senior brother, some time ago, didn’t you say that you can go down the mountain now since you’ve recovered? Master asked me to send word and told me to immediately have you go over.”
After the young novice monk finished speaking to Happy, he pushed his palms together before he turned around and left, leaving Happy alone in the zen garden while he sized up everything around him with great nostalgia.
The peach blossom poles, stone seats, and a water tub.
Everything was placed in their original positions, and very few secular disciples could be seen in the place.
‘Still the same as ever.’
Happy’s expression was very calm. He sucked in a huge breath of the air in the zen garden. It was clean and calm, because Master Xuan Jing loved the quiet. Hence, he deliberately built this zen garden in the empty space within the depths of the bamboo forest, and few players will usually come to this place.
Even Master Xuan Jing’s disciples will seldom come here, because it was far from the main temple.
A long time ago, Happy trained in this place for a few months in one go, and at the same time, he learned a few martial arts that were related to hidden forces from Master Xuan Jing, such as Dragon Claw and Demon Subduing Vajra Kick.
Even though they were ultimate techniques among the seventy-two ultimate techniques, they were different from other ultimate techniques. They symbolized Shaolin Temple’s profound martial arts, and those whose requirements had reached the standard can learn them. Hence, they were not actually qualified to be known as ultimate techniques.
Master Xuan Jing’s zen garden was very simple. One side of it was for zen meditation, and the other was for practicing martial arts.
The zen garden was quiet. It was just a small bamboo house.
The space used for practicing martial arts was rather big. It was the yard where Happy currently was. There were some items placed there.
When he remembered what the young novice monk said just now, Happy did not dare remain idle, he quickly walked toward the zen garden.
This garden was a place Happy was so familiar with that he can close his eyes and walk around eight to ten times without running into anything. With familiar ease, he arrived in front of the door to the house in the zen garden.
“Master.” Happy respectfully knelt down on the cushion in front of the door.
He still respected Master Xuan Jing a lot.
This master of his became a monk when he was twenty-eight years old, and he practiced twelve of the seventy-two ultimate skills from Shaolin Temple. He might not be as strong as Myth Realm elites, he taught Happy many of the zen martial arts that allowed him to cultivate his mind, thereby becoming the place that baptized Happy’s soul and made him diligent when it came to practicing martial arts.
“You’re here.”
The bamboo door opened, and Master Xuan Jing walked out with a gentle expression. His kind eyes were filled with compassion.
“My child, you’ve finally thought things through. I’m delighted. However, if you go down the mountain now and reenter the world of martial arts, you will be surrounded by danger. I do not wish to bring you back from a mountain of corpses while you are covered in blood, like last time.”
Happy knew that this was the background the system gave him. He could not help but fall prostrate on the ground. “I will remember it.”
“Sigh… Ambitabha.” Master Xuan Jing called out the name of Buddha. “Since you’ve already decided on your path, I will not force you to stay. However, before you go down the mountain, I hope that you will head to Punishment Mount and observe those monks who broke their vows. They had their eyes and souls blinded by hate and desire. That is why they are constantly trapped there and are isolated from the world. I hope that you will continue observing the teachings of Buddha.”
“I will remember your teachings, master.” Happy bowed again.
“Ah, fine. Go, my foolish son.” Master Xuan Jing released a long sigh with great lament. He called out the name of Buddha again before he returned into the bamboo house.
*****
The presence coming out of the cushion on the ground was incredibly familiar. Happy could not help but remember the time he asked to learn martial arts while he was in this garden. The previous cushion had been worn down because of how long he knelt there.
When he remembered this, Happy suddenly came to a realization that he still had some ties in this game.
A surge of warmth came out from the bottom of his heart, and he took the initiative to kowtow to the house again.
“Master, take care of yourself.”
After he got up and left, a voice calling out to the name of Buddha rose from Master Xuan Jing’s bamboo house, and it was filled with sentimentality. “Amitabha.”
*****
After he left the zen garden, Happy brought out a Bamboo Hat from his Universe Bag to conceal his original appearance. At the same time, he checked the items in his Universe Bag.
Aside from a few bottles containing Small Reversion Pills and a bottle of Origin Leopard Pills, there were only a few grade one masterpieces he did not manage to sell in his bag.
He had a Bright Moon Heart Protection Mirror on him, which he obtained from Taichi Cave, and it was embedded on a soft, silver robe. The other parts of his body were all created by silver cloth and wild silk. It was the creation of the top tailor at that time, and the attributes for this set of equipment could rival a low-grade demon vessel at the third echelon.
By the looks of it now, this Silver Robe Set should not have completely gone out of date. At the very least, if a first class elite wore this, he will not appear to be lowering his status too much.
However, after he left the zen garden, Happy felt lost for an instant.
It had been one year and a half since he logged in. Where should he go now?
When he walked on the mountain trails in Mount Song, which were filled with people, Happy felt a slight chill down his spine.
He had no connection whatsoever with One Emperor, and it was the same case for Lin Xiao and Red Dust.
The Three Lonely Wolves might be shocked when they received his messenger pigeon and will talk to him for a long while, but Happy did not want to continue immersing himself in the pain of the past.
As of right now, he was in a hurry to learn of how his strength ranked in the current World of Martial Arts. He knew that right now, most players were already in Moksha Realm.
Without his realization, the temperature around him began to drop. His qi cultivation technique, which was an orthodox Shaolin Temple technique, automatically helped him chase away the cold. It was only then that Happy realized he had already arrived at a cliff.
There were around ten players with strong qi flying over Iron Chain Bridge to head to Punishment Mount.